This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced psychologist or social worker to lead a specialist team delivering services in family law, child protection, and domestic violence across offices, courts, and outreach locations. You’ll provide high-level clinical expertise and lead a multidisciplinary team, managing, supervising, motivating, and training social workers, psychologists, and support practitioners.

Job details

Key Details:

• This is a full-time temporary position to 14 August 2026 (with the possibility of extension).

Mandatory requirements or special conditions:

• It is a requirement that the successful applicant have a current Blue Card.
• A tertiary qualification is required in either social work or psychology; social workers must be members, or eligible for membership, of the Australian Association of Social Workers, and psychologists must hold current registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Have a minimum of 5 years post graduate relevant experience.
• A drivers licence is required. However, reasonable adjustment will be considered.

 The successful candidate will play an integral role in the following:

• Manage a team of professional staff, including providing performance management and feedback recruitment and other human resource activities.
• Lead, monitor and report on the team's operational performance and ensure staff comply with all professional and corporate responsibilities.
• Conduct independent clinical and forensic family assessments with a focus on family law and child protection jurisdictions.
• Prepare complex and comprehensive assessment reports for use in court proceedings in the family law, child protection and related jurisdictions.
• Provide expert opinion and evidence to the court, including being cross examined and challenged on your opinion.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to best support clients and enhance their safety.
• Provide high-quality and trauma-informed mental health supports to clients in brief interventions.
• Participate in, and lead, the planning, preparation, implementation, and evaluation of projects for legal and non-legal service delivery.
• Establish and maintain networks with relevant external stakeholders and work to improve service delivery for clients and maintain and develop referral pathways to increase support options for clients.
• Lead team planning and develop improvements to work practices.
• Support all team members' development by providing tam induction, on the job training, coaching and mentoring.
• Provide expert and authoritative advice to support Legal Aid Queensland's policy development submissions when requested to do so.
• Provide training to Legal Aid Queensland staff, preferred suppliers and external stakeholders as requested.
• If a member of the LAQ's Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner Panel, act as a mediator and chair family dispute resolution conferences.

How You Will be Assessed:

The ideal applicant will be someone who has the following capabilities:

• You have experience managing a team and a broad knowledge of human resource functions, including monitoring activities against performance targets and meeting organisational objectives.
• You have experience clinically assessing families and children, have knowledge of relevant legislation and understand child development theory and the impacts of separation, domestic and family violence, abuse, high conflict and other risk factors on children and families.
• You communicate effectively with stakeholders including clients with complex needs, prepare and present complex assessment reports in a clear, concise, and articulate manner and can be cross examined in court.

Other Capabilities that May be Assessed:

Legal Aid Queensland applies the Leadership competencies for Queensland. We recognise that leadership is a part of every role regardless of classification level or management responsibilities. This role is mapped to the “Team Leader” profile. The competencies most relevant to this role are:

• Results- You build and sustain relationships to achieve shared goals.
• Vision- You demonstrate a growth mindset and build confidence within challenging environments.
• Results- You support learning by providing coaching, constructive feedback and opportunities for development.
• Results- You are accountable for ensuring quality services are delivered and implement best practice to achieve outcomes.

What we offer you

• 36.25 hrs per week (full time hours)
• Generous salary packaging
• 12.75% employer super contributions
• Flexible working hours
• Study leave for approved work-related courses

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• LAQ Employee Benefits (PDF, 277KB)
  Information Package for Applicants
  
  LAQ Information Kit for Applicants (PDF, 448KB)
  Information Package for Applicants
  
  Position Description - PO6 Principal Practitioner (PDF, 434KB)
  Role Description